Remote control switch for electrical appliances



L. A. SEARGY REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Flled March 4, 1957 m (DU. W A 1 f 3 a m m m V B Sept 9 395 United States atent. O

REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Luther A. Searcy, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application March 4, 1957, Serial No. 643,806

3 Claims. (Cl. 20051.02)

The invention relates to a remote control switch for electrical appliances, and it concerns more particularly the combination of a multiple electrical receptacle having contacts receivable in a wall receptacle, and a cut-off switch connected to the receptacle by long lead wires whereby the operation of one or more electrical appliances connected to the receptacle may be controlled from a distance.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the receptacle of the invention is used; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, similar to the views shown in Figs. 2 and 5, showing a further modification of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawing, the apparatus of the invention includes, in combination with a multiple electrical receptacle as hereinafter described, which is designated generally by the numeral 1, a remote control switch 2 having long lead wires 3 which are connected to the receptacle 1 as hereinafter described.

The receptacle 1 includes a housing, which is generally rectangular in shape and has a front portion 5, a pair of side portions 6, and'a pair of end portions 7. The housing 4 advantageously may be formed of plastic material, and may have a removable rear closure (not shown). The numerals 8 indicate a plurality of small spacing and reenforcing members which are formed integrally with the housing 4 and extend rearwardly from the front portion 5 immediately adjacent the side portions 6. The numeral 9 indicates an elongated structural member which is formed integrally with the housing 4 and extends rearwardly from the front portion 5, along the center line thereof.

Three pairs of openings 10 are formed in the front portion 5 of the housing 4 for selective engagement by the contacts of an electrical plug. Three pairs of electrical contacts 11, as hereinafter described, each of which corresponds to one of the openings 10, are positioned within the housing 4. Each of the contacts 11 consists of a piece of flat spring-like metal which is bent intermediate its ends to form a resilient surface for engagement by one of the contacts of an electrical plug, and is connected at one end to one of, two common conductor bars 12, each of which is connected to one of the contacts 11 of each pair.

A pair of elongated, rigid contactmembers 13, which are bent at right angles intermediate their ends and which correspond to the contacts of an electrical plug, are each connected at one end to the rearward side of the elongated structural member 9 and extend rearwardly beyond the rear of the housing 4 for engagement with a conventional wall receptacle. One of the contact members 13 is connected directly to one of the common conductor bars 12, while the other contact member 13 is connected to the other common conductor bar 12 through the remote control switch 2.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the respective lead wires 3 are connected directly, at one end, to one of the common conductor bars 12 and to one of the contact members 13. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the corresponding ends of the lead Wires 3 are connected to the contacts 14 of an electrical plug 15, which are received in a pair of openings 16 formed in one end of the receptacle 4 for engagement with a pair of contacts 17, which in turn are connected to one of the common conductor bars 12 and to one of the contact members 13.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the invention in which an electrical plug 18, which is receivable in a wall receptacle and which is connected by long leads 19 to the receptacle 1, is substituted for the contacts 13, and in which one of the contacts of the plug 18 is connected directly, within the housing 4, to one of the leads 3 of the switch 2, and in which one of the contacts of the plug 18, and one of the leads 3, are connected, respectively, to the common conductor bars 12.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a multiple electrical receptacle comprising a housing having a plurality of pairs of' openings therein for selective engagement by the contacts of an electrical plug, a plurality of electrical outlet contacts in the housing corresponding to the openings, a pair of common conductor bars in the housing each connected to one of the electrical outlet contacts of each pair, and a pair of electrical inlet contacts connected to the housing and extending outwardly therefrom, one of the electrical inlet contacts being connected directly to one of the common conductor bars, a cutoff switch, and a pair of long lead Wires connecting the cut-off switch in series with the other of the electrical inlet contacts and the other of the common conductor bars.

2. The combination of a multiple electrical receptacle comprising a housing having a plurality of pairs of openings therein for selective engagement by the contacts of an electrical plug, a plurality of electrical outlet contacts in the housing corresponding to the openings, a pair of common conductor bars in the housing each connected to one of the electrical outlet contacts of each pair, a pair of electrical inlet contacts connected to the housing and extending outwardly therefrom, and another pair of electrical contacts in the housing for engagement by the contacts of an electrical plug, one of the electrical inlet contacts being connected directly to one of the common conductor bars, the other of the electrical inlet contacts being connected to one of the last mentioned electrical contacts and the other of the common conductor bars being connected to the other of the last mentioned electrical contacts, the housing having openings therein corresponding to the last mentioned electrical contacts, a cut-off switch, a pair of long lead wires each connected at one end to the cut-off switch, and an electrical plug connected to the opposite ends of the lead wires and receivable in the last mentioned openings for engagemetn with the last mentioned electrical contacts.

3. The combination of a multiple electrical receptacle a) comprising a housing having a plurality of pairs of openings therein for selective engagement by the contacts of an electrical plug, a plurality of electrical outlet contacts in the housing corresponding to the openings, and a pair of common conductor bars in the' housing each connected to one of the electrical outlet contacts of each pair, an electrical plug having contacts receivable in a Wall receptacle, a cut-oil switch, means connecting the contacts of the last mentioned electrical plug to the cut-01f switch and one of the common conductor bars,

respectively, and means connecting the cut-01f switch to the other of the common conductor bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

